Ah, Valentine’s Day. Love it or hate it, it comes around every year. I’m not one to really enjoy the day. I’ve had some pretty awful v-days, but you just can’t make it go away. However, anytime you have an excuse to make everything pink and with hearts, how can it be ALL bad?
I decided to get to baking. I made a valentine for my valentines, both at home and work. I don’t care who you are, it’s nice to know someone is thinking of you on this day.
I made:
Jam cookies:
Chocolate Cake Balls
Cupcakes, chocolate dipped pretzels, chocolate raisin candy
And heart shaped chocolate chip cookies.
I then packed them for work:
And for my big valentine:
I put the goodies in one of my many hammered aluminum dishes and tied with some clearance ribbon I got after Christmas (yippee for 90% off!!!) I started collecting aluminum pieces after my grandmother gave me a casserole dish she had gotten as a wedding present.
And my little valentine. Of course munchkin was the most excited of all. Who doesn’t love cookies for breakfast? (Just for special occasions that is)
Recipes:
Chocolate chip cookies – made from a mix and then put down cookie cutter and dropped a spoonful of dough in and smushed it down.
Emily’s Cake Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cake mix
- 1 can complimentary-flavored frosting
- bag of chocolate chips
- Bake cake according to directions. Allow to cool completely and crumble into a bowl. Put in the fridge if still warm.
- Mix in some frosting until it creates a dough-like mess. Freeze for 30-60 minutes
- Use a scoop to scoop out balls onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Use hands to make into a more uniform ball and place back on sheet. Freeze for 30-60 minutes
- Melt chocolate chips in double boiler. Add in butter if necessary to make it smooth.
- Use a fork to dip balls into chocolate, allowing extra to drip off. Place back on parchment paper.
- Cool in fridge until set. I like to keep mine in there until served.
Raisin candy and chocolate dipped pretzels – I had left over melted chocolate after dipping the cake balls so I dipped some pretzels first and then mixed some raisins in the remaining chocolate and spooned into candy wraps. Refrigerate.
“Christmas Stars” (Or Valentine’s Hearts)- Allrecipe.com
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons strawberry jam
- 1/4 cup green decorator sugar (optional)
Directions
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended. Refrigerate dough for three hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease several cookie sheets.
- On a floured surface, roll out 1/2 of the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut dough into star shapes using a 3 to 4 inch star cookie cutter. Using a 1 to 2 inch star cookie cutter, cut a star into the center of half of the big stars. Sprinkle colored sugar on the cookies with the center cut out if desired. Put onto prepared cookie sheets about 1 inch apart, and bake for 6 to 8 minutes.
- After cookies cool completely, spread 1 teaspoon of preserves in the center of each cookie that does not have a star cut out in the middle. Place a cookie with a cut-out on top of the layer of preserves. Pack cookies in a covered tin to preserve freshness.
Black Sheep Dancing 